


pink fingers gone gold as light

by exohousewarming, violetlightning (tribute)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Baekhyun Is Sick, Boys In Love, Chanyeol is a GOOD BOYFRIEND, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Sleepy Kisses, baths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 16:37:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12303189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exohousewarming/pseuds/exohousewarming, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tribute/pseuds/violetlightning
Summary: Prompt number:#337Side Pairings (if any):NoneWarnings:NoneSummary:Padding his way into the room he finds Baekhyun still asleep. Chanyeol tries to be quiet as possible as he makes his way across the room but it’s no use, when he takes a looks up from the floor and sees Baekhyun looking up, blinking blearily at him. He can’t fight the smile that makes it’s way across his face.





	pink fingers gone gold as light

**Author's Note:**

> **Author Note:** woo! i'm so happy i got to write this!! thank you to the mods for being so nice and i hope everyone who reads this enjoys it! thank you!

Chanyeol pulls his knees up onto the couch, resting his head on his worn out sweatpants. His socked feet curl and uncurl themselves out of habit and out of nerves, out of not being able to stay still for a single moment as he waits.

He hears Joonmyeon’s voice from across the hall and then Minseok’s, they’re muffled by the closed door but he can tell. There’s a groggy voice which he assumes is Baekhyun trying to argue with them- or what he assumes is arguing, he’s tired and there’s a wall and his head is pounding against his skull. The only logical thing to be going on in there's Baekhyun telling Minseok and Joonmyeon to fuck off and let him do what he wants.

He puffs up his cheeks in worry, fingers coming up to pick at the hole in his pants just below his knee. He scratches as the scabs along his kneecap, worrying the fabric down to an even more distressed manner. The TV is playing a rerun of some old drama that Chanyeol loves but when Joonmyeon and Minseok hurry themselves out of the door he doesn’t hesitate in shutting it off. He’s on his feet in seconds.

“How is he? Is he sick? Is he dying? Does he need anything? Do we have anything? Joonmyeon what if we don’t have what he needs, Joonmyeon-.”

A cool hand grips his shoulder and Chanyeol starts breathing again.

“Chanyeol, it’s okay. He just has a cold, he’s going to sleep in a bit and then join us in the practice room.” Joonmyeon chews on his lip which leads Chanyeol to believe he didn’t really have a say in the matter. He gives Minseok and pointed look who just sighs and shakes his head.

“Are we sure that’s the best thing- I- we don’t want him to get worse, we have things to do- practice, record, you know.” Chanyeol pulls the sleeves of his sweater own over his fidgeting hands. “He should stay in bed.”

Joonmyeon drops his hand from his shoulder and makes his way over to the kitchen. Chanyeol follows, socked feet padding across the hardwood floor and slips onto the nearest bar stool.

“Chanyeol, I understand what you’re saying believe me but you know how he is, he threatened me. Let him do what he wants.”

He gives Chanyeol a small smile. “You know how he hates letting people down.” Joonmyeon pours himself a glass of water and turns his back to put the filter back in the fridge.

Chanyeol pouts and crosses his arms. He better than anyone knows how stubborn Baekhyun is and how much he cares about everyone but it gives Chanyeol a headache with how little he cares for himself.

“I’m going to go talk to him.” Chanyeol mumbles and grabs the glass of water off the counter before Joonmyeon can stop him.

He hears a sigh behind him and the click of the fridge door closing. “Quickly, Chanyeol then gets ready, we have practice in 14 minutes.” Chanyeol smiles because he knows Joonmyeon has their schedule memorized down to the second.

❀♡❀

He knocks softly before opening the door, careful not to let the light from the living room into his room where the lights are off and the curtains are drawn.

Chanyeol kneels down beside the bed, hands kept in his lap as he watches Baekhyun. He squirms under the blankets, face contorted and breathing heavy. Chanyeol places the glass of water on his bedside table; beside his lamp and the framed photo of Baekhyun and him, he got him for his birthday. The glass clinks against the wood and Baekhyun turns around under his blankets until he’s facing Chanyeol with glassy eyes.

“No, no.” He moans, “I told Joonmyeon that I didn’t want to see you.” He continues whining until it ends up a sharp cough, one Chanyeol can feel in his own chest. Chanyeol ignores the initial sting of Baekhyun’s words and helps him sit up, bringing all the pillows from his bed to support him and pulls the blankets up to keep him covered.

“That’s not very nice Baekhyun.” He whispers as he puts the glass up to Baekhyun’s lips. Baekhyun gives him a glare but opens his mouth and lets Chanyeol hold his head as he drinks it. “Is that any way to treat your boyfriend?”

Baekhyun makes a noise and Chanyeol takes the cup away. He makes a mental note to refill it before he leaves for practice. Baekhyun coughs again, it’s wet and Chanyeol can tell it hurts just by the look on his face. He reaches for Baekhyun’s hands under the blanket, but he pulls it away giving him a look.

“No Chanyeol. I don’t want you to get sick too.”

Chanyeol chuckles and grabs Baekhyun’s hand anyway, his strong calloused fingers rub soothing circles on the back of his hand. “Did you just admit you were sick?” He laughs at Baekhyun rolling his eyes, “Besides, do you think a simple thing like a common cold would stop me from seeing you?”

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun whines, kicking his feet up and down under his comforter. “You need to go practice I’ll be there in an hour or so, I’ll be better after a shower.”

Chanyeol frowns. “I’m not leaving until you promise you won’t be at practice today.”

The room may be dark but Chanyeol can see Baekhyun huffing in annoyance. His eyebrows knit together as he glares at him. “Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol folds his arms across his chest, “Baekhyun.” Baekhyun might be the more stubborn one in their relationship, but they both know Chanyeol can hold his ground just as long as the former. He can’t count the number of times they’ve gone days without speaking to each other because of an argument where they both thought they were right.

Baekhyun’s the better one at holding his ground though, his hot-headiness makes it easy to block out anything that would cause him to crumble whereas Chanyeol is only as strong as his ability to be without Baekhyun.

(He’s usually the one to crack first, although Baekhyun isn’t quick in letting him forget it.)

But here in Baekhyun’s room where the only sounds are Baekhyun’s haggard coughs, Chanyeol knows he has the upper hand. Baekhyun may be his greatest weakness but he’s also his biggest strength. Baekhyun knows how much Chanyeol loves him (even if Chanyeol knows what he feels for Baekhyun can’t be put into words.)

Baekhyun falls back onto the pillows, head softly bouncing up from the impact and black hair covering his face. “Fine.”

Chanyeol bounces up and down on his knees smiling. He reaches up and carefully wraps himself around Baekhyun. “Thank you.” Chanyeol buries his face in Baekhyun’s neck and smiles, even more, when he feels Baekhyun’s arms come around his shoulders. His small fingers card themselves through Chanyeol’s hair before he pulls away.“I love you, now get some sleep.” Chanyeol pulls the blankets tight around Baekhyun, leaving only his head to be seen from under the large comforter. His hair fans out against the pillows making him look more like an angel than anything. He kisses Baekhyun’s cheeks- both of them and then a soft peck on his lips before leaving to refill his water.

When he returns, Baekhyun is fast asleep. His frown from earlier replaced with a soft look of sleep, Chanyeol can’t stop himself from leaving a few more kisses on his face.

❀♡❀

The music blasts through the speakers loud enough to make Chanyeol’s bone shake, their feet gyrate the floor with every move they make. He can’t tell if the room’s about to collapse, or he’s just been spacing out one too many times in the past few hours. From the corner of his eye, he sees Sehun giving him a look, one that says get your head out of your ass. Chanyeol scrunches up his face and gives him the finger.

Joonmyeon starts the music over again after Jongdae trips over his own foot–Chanyeol’s just glad it wasn’t him. He follows the steps carefully. Like usual he just has to go through the motions enough times until it’s all muscle memory, but it’s harder when his fingers itch for his phone every time they start over or when his head is preoccupied with thoughts of Baekhyun being alone. All he can think about is if Baekhyun needs some aspirin.

“Chanyeol, you okay?” Minseok asks him once they’re on break, he grabs Chanyeol by the wrist and sits him down on the couch in the corner. “You seem-”

“Tense?” Chanyeol offers crunching his water bottle between his hands- I wonder if Baekhyun has enough water… He thinks as he tosses it in the recycling.

Minseok laughs, “I was going to say a little distracted but I guess that works too.” He sits down right next to Chanyeol, thighs touching. Chanyeol relishes in it- he’s always loved skinship and his members know it. It’s something that helps him when his head gets too full and something Baekhyun loves helping him with. Even if it’s just the touch of thighs or a hug, or someone cuddles with him on the couch it all makes Chanyeol’s chest tight with affection- no matter who it’s with. Baekhyun understands- or at least Chanyeol tries to explain it to him, the need to have someone always touches him. He didn’t laugh or think something wrong of him when Chanyeol told him he just grabbed his hands and held him tightly as they slept.

“Baekhyun’s going to be fine you know- it’s just a cold, he’ll be back and annoying the shit out of us all by tomorrow.” Minseok rubs his back in rhythmic circles, he lets Chanyeol rest his head on his shoulder.

“I know. It’s just- I don’t know why my chest feels all tight, I’m just- I want him to be better.”

“You’re just worried about him, I mean when was the last time any of us were sick- your fingers are probably just itching to take care of him aren’t they. We all know- especially Baekhyun, that you love us and that you’d do anything to make sure we’re okay. You love him Chanyeol, of course you’re going to be worried.”

Chanyeol nods, he is worried about Baekhyun, and he is itching to take care of him but it still doesn’t explain the tightness in his chest.

“Listen- it’s been almost 4 hours, I’ll tell Joonmyeon and you go check up on him okay?” Minseok is chewing on his bottom lip, something Chanyeol notices he does a lot. He reaches over and pulls his lip out from his teeth.

“Thank you.”

❀♡❀

Chanyeol never really understood love.

When he was 8 he thought he loved his neighbor Hyerin when he scraped his knee on her driveway, and she cried until she put on a band-aid on it but his mother told him he was too young to know what love was.

When he was 16 he thought he loved the boy in his English class but his father told him it wasn’t love and it wasn’t something that was to be talked about under his roof ever again- so he didn’t.

When he was 19 he was told not to fall in love because he had a career to worry about but at 19 he met Baekhyun and everything he thought he knew was null.

He thought love was fireworks and bold declarations of eternal love and it can be, he’s seen it, but he thinks everyone has their own kind of special love. With his members, it’s soft hands rubbing his back when he cries on stage and it’s smiles from across the room, big hugs from when someone’s been gone for too long or a laugh from a joke that wasn’t really funny. With his family, it’s tear-filled eyes as they wish him luck and it’s home cooked meals when he has the chance to drop by, it’s a look of acceptance from his mother and sister her got when he told them about Baekhyun. With the fans it’s ear-shattering screams and all-kills, it’s sold out stadiums and sold-out albums, it’s breaking records just to say they did and it’s singing along to a song he’s written.

With Baekhyun it’s something he can’t fully understand. It’s his fingers in his hair, it’s his mouth in his ear whispering everything he loves about him, it’s his smile when Chanyeol kisses him, or hugs him or looks at him. It’s their kisses; the soft pecks when they just wake up to the heated, messy ones they rush into because they never have the time to take it slow. It’s waking up with him in his arms, his eyes crusty with sleep and hair all knotted but still feeling the ache in your chest because he’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. It’s the fights they have over little things, it’s the screaming when things get too much and neither of them knows what to do anymore. Being in love with Baekhyun is watching the sun rise and set from their balcony on their days off, it’s the hand on his thigh in an interview and the head on his shoulder in the car. It’s knowing that no matter what happens they always have each other.

❀♡❀

The dorm is quiet when he arrives back, the only sounds being the traffic outside and the air conditioning. He toes off his sneakers kicks them off to the side along with the dozens of other pairs. It’s how they left it; clothes strung over almost every surface (almost, because they all promised they would keep the kitchen clean.) There are books and albums in the stair railings. There’s a hole in the wall from when Kyungsoo threw a water bottle just to see which one would break- the wall or the bottle. He makes his way down the hall to where he left Baekhyun sleeping, hoping he still will be when he opens the door.

Padding his way into the room he finds Baekhyun still asleep. Chanyeol tries to be quiet as possible as he makes his way across the room but it’s no use when he takes a looks up from the floor and sees Baekhyun looking up, blinking blearily at him. He can’t fight the smile that makes its way across his face.

“Feeling any better?” He whispers and flops down on the bed beside Baekhyun on his stomach. His muscles ache from practice and his head is pounding from the lack of something- food, water, Baekhyun- he’s not sure. His jeans scratch against the blanket and his hair is matted against his head with sweat, he needs to change clothes and he needs a shower but he pushes those plans to the back of his mind when Baekhyun lets out a small cough.

Chanyeol reaches a hand over to brush Baekhyun’s hair out from his eyes, thumb brushing against his forehead and instantly recoiling as if burnt.

“Fuck, Baekhyun- you’re burning up.” Chanyeol quickly rolls off the bed and over to Baekhyun’s side of the bed turning on the bedside lamp. His stomach plummets as soon as the room becomes illuminated.

Baekhyun’s face is flushed and sheened in sweat, cheeks a bright red; along with his nose and ears. He groans at the bright light and tries to turn over but with the slight movement he makes he ends up in a painful coughing fit, or what Chanyeol presumes is painful with the way he claws at the blankets and sobs when it's finished. There are tufts of hair sticking up but most of it is stuck against his skin with sweat. His fingers tighten against the top of the blanket so tight his knuckles turn white. Chanyeol reaches out and takes one of his hands into his own and squeezing it softly.

“Baekhyun.”

He opens his eyes, they’re glossy and tired almost like he’s still asleep and Chanyeol’s heart continues pounding against his ribcage. Baekhyun’s skin is hot to the touch and his palms all clammy but Chanyeol doesn’t let go when Baekhyun tries to slip from his grip. He has a fever, this much Chanyeol knows but that's about as far as his knowledge goes. The last time he had a fever he was a child and all his mother did was run him a bath before she left for work.

He gives Baekhyun another squeeze and lets his hand go. He doesn’t miss the soft whine from below him when he does.

“I’m going to take the blankets off you now.” He instructs, he hopes Baekhyun doesn’t throw a fit like he used to when he was younger when his mother tried to get him out of bed. The play-by-play should help Baekhyun have a better understanding of his surroundings.

Baekhyun whines like the grown man he is and tries to pull the blanket up so Chanyeol can’t take them. Chanyeol certainly doesn’t want to call Baekhyun cute in this situation but he looks like he does when he’s drunk, whining and flushed face which is always cute.

He peels the blankets back and throws them off the bed completely having been soaked with Baekhyun’s sweat. “I’m going to pick you up now.” He waits for Baekhyun to acknowledge him, which he does, in the form of a weak smiled and weak arms were thrown haphazardly around his neck.

“Mhhm okay.” He whispers head hung back and sweaty legs wrapped around Chanyeol’s waist. He buries his face in Chanyeol’s neck and the feeling in Chanyeol’s chest tightens.

❀♡❀

The walk to the bathroom is no problem as Baekhyun is half dead in his arms. Chanyeol’s head hurts and his fingers feel as tight as his chest, he flexes them against the small of Baekhyun’s back like he doesn’t quite know what to do with them. He’s sitting on the toilet with his sick boyfriend who’s shaking so uncontrollably Chanyeol thinks he might explode. He feels sick, and not in the way Baekhyun’s sick, but something else, something different and he wants to cry.

He rubs Baekhyun’s back through his shirt only to find it soaked through almost completely, his fingers shake where they're curled against the nape of Chanyeol’s neck rubbing softly against his skin. There’s no way he’s letting go of him or putting him down to turn on the water so Chanyeol carefully scoots himself onto the floor with only mild complaints from Baekhyun who lifts his head lazily to scowl at him. Chanyeol gives him a sheepish grin to apologize and it seems to do it for him as he pushes himself back into between the junction between Chanyeol’s shoulder and neck.

“I’m going to run the bath now, it might be loud.” He whispers into Baekhyun’s hair, leaving a few kisses to his burning forehead as he turns the knobs on the bathtub.

The only sound in the small room is the rushing water filling the ceramic tub and the soft breaths escaping Baekhyun’s mouth. He keeps the temperature of the water warm as per google’s instructions- sticking his hand under the faucet every so often to make sure it’s to his liking. Chanyeol wipes his wet hand on the front of his jeans and rubs his fingers along Baekhyun’s arm, skin warm to the touch.

He slowly peels Baekhyun’s pajamas off, fabric sticking diligently to his skin and tosses the damp fabric into the hamper behind them. Even with the warmth of his skin and the stickiness of the air in the bathroom Baekhyun starts shaking, chills racking his entire body. Chanyeol frowns.

“Hey- can you stand up for me? The bath’s ready.” He whispers into Baekhyun’s ear, rubbing his hand up and down his back.

Baekhyun looks up at him and nods with a smile on his face, his chapped lips cracking the slightest in the corners and sweat collecting along his brow. Chanyeol can feel his heart in his stomach.

❀♡❀

He watches from his perch on the toilet seat. Baekhyun has his back against the wall, eyes closed. His skin is flushed from the tops of his ears to bottom of his chest. He sniffles every few seconds and coughing gets so bad Chanyeol’s put a bucket at his feet incase he starts throwing up.

Chanyeol can’t stop staring.“You’re so cute.” He whispers. They’re alone in the bathroom and in the apartment but he doesn’t want to disturb whatever's stirring in the air. He asks a few times if the water is too cold but Baekhyun just shakes his head.

Baekhyun hums in response, either too tired to answer in words or too sick to really understand what Chanyeol even said. His fingers tap along the top of the water like they would a piano and Chanyeol feels a pang in his chest because he knows where Baekhyun would rather be.

“I’m sorr-” Chanyeol starts but is cut off by a sniffle and a coughing fit. Chanyeol is on his knees, leaning over the tub in seconds, hand on Baekhyun’s back.

When he stops, he gives Chanyeol a pointed look. “Are you going to join me or what?” voice cracked from a sore throat.

Chanyeol sticks his tongue out, “I didn’t think you’d want me to- you didn’t even want to see me before!” He argues but pulls his sweater over his head, messing up his hair and steps out of his sweats.

“Fuck!- Baekhyun why didn’t you tell me it got cold?” He shrieks, fists tightened as he sinks into the bath behind Baekhyun. He reaches the knob with his foot and turns it so the hot water gushes out, filling the quiet room with the rushing of water.

Baekhyun just smiles lethargically, eyes drifting closed once again. Chanyeol lifts his hands and ignoring the tightness in his chest he encloses Baekhyun’s face between his palms and pecks his lips before Baekhyun hits him.

The punch doesn’t come. Instead, Baekhyun curls himself up on Chanyeol’s chest, hairs tickling under his chin. He smiles and reaches his arms over Baekhyun’s shivering body and pulls him impossibly closer. He just hopes Baekhyun can’t hear the rattling in his chest.

He doesn’t know how long they lay there but he knows he doesn’t want to leave. His skin is getting pruny and he’s already had to turn on the hot water twice but Baekhyun is sleeping and he’s yipping like a puppy like always and Chanyeol doesn’t have the heart to wake him up. So he doesn’t.

Rarely do they get the time to laze around, even on their days off they have things to do. He wouldn’t say Baekhyun being sick is a good thing- far from it, but he’s grateful they have this time to themselves, even if it’s just a few hours of laying in a bath. Baekhyun would yell at him if he told him that he was the best thing to happen to him, and he doesn’t know if he could even bring himself to say it out loud but it’s true- and he thinks Baekhyun might know too.

“I love you.” He says as he presses a kiss to the top of Baekhyun’s head. He lets himself lay back with his head against the wall.

He feels Baekhyun say it before he hears him, lips pressed against his bare chest. 

“Say it again.”

Chanyeol feels his cheeks burn at the sudden attention. “Baekhyun-”

Baekhyun presses a kiss right above Chanyeol’s heart, his hands coming up to link behind his head. “Say it again.”

If it were any other day he would flick him in the head and pretend he didn’t say anything but Baekhyun’s sick and half asleep so he indulges him, something he wishes he could do more often.

“I love you.” Chanyeol leans down, eyes open and presses their foreheads together. Baekhyun closes his eyes and bites his lip to try and keep from smiling. “Again.”

He presses a kiss to Baekhyun’s cheek. “I love you.” He presses another one on the other, “I love you.”

Chanyeol plants a kiss on his nose, his chin, and finally his lips. “I. Love. You.”

Baekhyun laughs and pulls Chanyeol back for another kiss. When Chanyeol goes to pull back, Baekhyun bites his lip.

“Ow- Baekhyun.” He pouts, finger pulling his lip away from his mouth to see if he broke the skin.

Baekhyun lets out a small laugh and sticks his tongue out, wetting the tip of Chanyeol’s nose. After earning another shriek from him Baekhyun pulls back and collapses back onto Chanyeol’s chest.

“I’m so tired.” He whispers hoarsely. The room is filled with steam and the air is all foggy, even Chanyeol can barely stay awake. He pushes Baekhyun’s damp hair off his forehead and nods in response.

❀♡❀

He carries Baekhyun back to his room and helps him into a clean pair of pajamas that consist of one of Chanyeol’s shirt and a pair of his own boxers. He leads him towards the bed where Baekhyun all but flops on top of the blankets. He mumbles something against the sheets that almost sounds like “Leave me here to die.” but Chanyeol can’t be too sure.

He gets Baekhyun on the bed and under the covers, head buried beneath the duvet and the pillows. Chanyeol pulls the blanket back and Baekhyun is smiling at him, cheeks flushed from the hot bath and from his fever. He looks so _soft_ , Chanyeol can’t help but lean down and kiss him. He lays down beside him on top of the blanket and plays with Baekhyun’s towel dried hair.

“I’ll go make some tea.”

He rolls off the bed, ignoring Baekhyun’s grabby arms and complaints that he doesn’t like tea and sprints down the hall, socks slipping on the hardwood floors. He grabs the kettle from its place on the stove and the water bottles from below the sink and fills it with shaking hands.

He used to get made fun of for being too emotional, teased for saving bugs from the classroom and pushed around by his mother for trying save stray animals. Baekhyun doesn't mind it, he rather enjoys it or so he tells him. Today was almost too much for him, he’s never been good under pressure or good at taking care of others.

The kettle whistles and Chanyeol wants to cry.

His fingers shake as he hands the cup over to Baekhyun, he smiles when his fingers linger. “Hey- why’re you crying?” He asks in a panicked tone, voice scratchy. He sets the cup down on the nightstand. Chanyeol shakes his head and turns to face the wall to wipe his tears frantically with the backs of his hands.

He hears the moving of blankets but before he can turn around to scold Baekhyun for getting out of bed his fingers are on his arms. “Come on, lie down with me.” He coaxes Chanyeol into his own bed and pulls the blankets back over their bodies. The blankets rustle under his movements until he's facing Baekhyun.

“Sorry, it’s nothing.”

Baekhyun smiles and pulls him closer until he has Chanyeol’s head resting on his chest. “There's nothing to be sorry about-” he coughs, phlegm clawing its way up his throat. Chanyeol reaches behind him and grabs the tissues.

“I know, I know. I just- you know. I just. I love you so much. That’s all.” He whispers into Baekhyun’s shirt.”

Baekhyun’s fingers trace circles on his back atop his shirt, his nails lightly scratching at the fabric. “I love you too.” Even after hearing it so many times Chanyeol still gets giddy when the words fall from Baekhyun’s lips. He looks up to see Baekhyun staring back at him and he wrinkles his nose, sticking his tongue out.

“Let's just go to sleep okay?” Baekhyun yawns, “I promise I’ll feel better in the morning as long as you promise to kiss me when we wake up.”

Chanyeol leaves a kiss over Baekhyun’s heart and nods. The tightness in his chest is still there and he’s not sure what he’ll do when it’s gone, but he feels lighter than he has in a long time. He reaches behind him and shuts the lamp off, encasing them in complete darkness.


End file.
